Latch bolt and striker



March 21, max). J. H. ROETHEL LATCH BOLT AND STRIKER Filed Sept. 15, 1937 III INVENTOR BY '0%; )7, P063 561 M (Lem l A TTO NE Y5,

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH BOLT AND STRIKER Application September 15, 1937, Serial No. 164,016

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a latch bolt and striker plate mechanism for doors, the invention being particularly, although not exclusively, adapted for use in connection with automobile or other vehicle doors. An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism of this character which will permit relatively easy and quiet closing of the door, an objective which is especially desirable and advantageousv for doors of automobile bodies fabricated from sheet metal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a striker plate for a latch bolt mechanism in which a safety step-and a final locking step are incorporated in the striker, the safety step first engaged by the bolt during closing movement of the door being resiliently mounted to yield sumciently under pressure of the bolt so as to provide an easy closing action.

Another object is to provide a striker of the plural step type having substantially a disappearing safety step, namely, a first step which is spring mounted so that upon engagement thereof by the bolt upon closing the door the step will be forced into the striker casing, being retracted after passage of the bolt to provide a safety step.

As a result of the improved construction the nose of the bolt will in effect ride over a tapered face of the striker and be progressively retracted thereby without objectionable clicking noise heretofore occasioned by the use of conventional stepped striker plates.

A further object of the invention is to provide -a striker plate, particularly one embodying the foregoing improvements, in which the face-of the striker is provided with an insert or disappearing member projecting into position to be engaged by the bolt during closing action of the door, this member being resiliently mounted and adapted to be depressed by the bolt as the bolt passes over the striker plate into final latching position. In the preferred form herein illustrated the insert member lies within the area of the tapered face of the striker and as the tapered end or nose of the bolt rides thereover it is depressed to a position flush with the striker face forming a continuation thereof and in effect a part of the main bearing area for the bolt nose.

A further object is to provide a striker generally of the foregoing type in which the recoil of the striker insert after passage of the bolt will be silenced, and also to provide a relatively simple, economical and efiicient operating device easy and cheap to install.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and. appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of an automobile body illustrating a latch bolt and striker plate mechanism embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the striker plate assembly or device looking at the front thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the striker plate assembly or device looking toward the rear thereof.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially through lines 51-6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. 3

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially through lines 55 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the safety insert member in depressed condition by reason of engagement thereof by the nose or bolt during its passage over the striker plate.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in I the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In the drawing there is illustrated, by way of example, a latch bolt and striker mechanism constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention as applied to an automobile body. In Fig. 1 the upright body pillar is illustrated at I0, and upon the jamb face of this pillar is mounted the striker unit or plate indicated as a whole at A. The door pillar is shown at H and carried by this pillar is the latch bolt mechanism illustra ed as a whole at B.

The door latch comprises a case plate l2 secured to the inner face of the inner metal door panel l4, this case plate having an outwardly directed flange l2a, and this flange together with the jamb face of the pillar I l is provided with an aperture in which is slidingly mounted a latch bolt l3. The bolt l3 has an inclined or tapered nose [3a engageable with the face of the striker plate and also has a bottom face [3b. It will be particularly noted that the base or bottom face l3b of the bolt is tapered or inclined inwardly so as to be substantially wedge-shaped. The metal of the' aperture in the flange |2a of the case plate, through which the bolt slides, is bent back to provide a flange l5 to form a guide against which the straight face B of the bolt slides. It will be seen that the face I30 of the base of the bolt nose extends parallel to the guide flange l and to the rectilinear direction of movement of the bolt, and this face I30 slides upon the flange I5 whereas the latching face l3b of-the bolt extends at an angle thereto. The guide flange I5, struck out from the metal of the flange l2a of the case plate, is preferably reinforced by means of a stiffening metal angle l6 spot welded thereto and to the flange l2a.

The doc latch B may be of any suitable or conventional construction comprising, for example, an oscillatable roll-back IT, a transverse handle shaft I8 extending through the doorfor oscillating the roll-back, an outer handle l8a secured to the shaft, and a mainbolt return spring l3. This main spring may best coiled clock-type spring having its 'end la in engagement with a projecting portion I 3d of the bolt l3. It will be understood that the bolt I3 is retracted by the roll-back against the action of the spring [9 which acts to propel the bolt into extended position, as shown in Fig. 1, upon release of the handle or after the bolt has passed beyond the inner end of the striker plate, as is customary.

The striker unit A which cooperates with the latch bolt comprises a striker plate proper 20 which may be in the form of a die casting. This striker plate may have an outer slightly crowned bolt engaging face Ma and a rear straight face 2| suitably serrated for engagement with the face of the pillar Ill. The working face 2hr of the striker plate is preferably crowned slightly in a vertical direction and is also inwardly tapered so that the striker plate is wedge-shaped in construction. In the present instance the striker plate 20 is provided with a central transverse slot or aperture 22 and is also provided with suitable countersunk holes 23 for the reception of screws 24 by which the striker plate may be detachably secured to screw bosses formed on the inner side of the body pillar l 0. Slidingly mounted within the aperture 22 is an insert member 25, this member, in the form herein illustrated, providing a bumper initially engaged or substantially so by the nose l3a of the latch bolt, as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, and also a safety step for the bolt. As herein illustrated the insert member is generally wedge-shaped and its outer narrower'endis offset at. 25b to lie within and to be housed by the outer portion of the slot 22. The insert member 25 may be cast or formed in one piece and in substantially T-shape to provide at its inner end an integral round pivot pin 25c. This integral pin portion 25a is confined and housed by a transverse groove 26 formed in the back of the striker plate. It will be seen that the contact face 25a of the insert member 25 extends out from the main metallic contact face 2la of the striker member and at an angle diverging with respect thereto, thereby terminating in a safety step or shoulder 21. The latter extends in and terminates in an inward projecting integral stop lug or extension 28 which is movable within a portion 22a of the slot or recess 22. The lug 28 is pierced to provide a hole into which is pressed a portion 29a of a resilient rubber bumper 29. It will be seen that the head of the bumper 29 is interposed between the lug 2B of the insert member and an overlying wallportion 30 of the striker member 20. Thus, the overhanging wall portion 30 provides a limiting shoulder engaged by the rubber bumper 29 carried. by the stop lug 28 so as to limit the outward movement of the insert 25. The insert member, at one side of the lug 28, is provided with a hole or recess 3| within which extends a compression spring 32. This spring is supported against a bar 33 extending transversely of the striker member 20 and confined within a groove in the back face of the striker member. The supporting bar 33 for the spring 32 may be secured to the striker member by means of suitable countersunk rivets or screws extending through holes 34 therein. Thus, the spring 32 is anchored within the recess 3| and held in place by means of the retainer bar 33.

.It will be seen that the tapered contact face 2la of the striker plate diverges inwardly with respect to the face of the pillar l0 and terminates in a main locking step 35. -Also it will be noted that the face of the step 35, which is engaged by the face l3b of the latch bolt, is tapered so as to extend at an angle corresponding to the angle of the face l3b, such as a 5 angle. This tapered face 35 is engaged by the tapered or wedgeshaped face l3b when the door is closed. In operation, when the door is moved inward to close the same, the nose of the latch bolt l3 engages the tapered face 25a of the insert member 25.

The spring 32 of the insert member is preferably weaker than the main return spring [9 of the latch bolt. Hence, as the door is thrust inward the strength of the spring It] will be suflicient to cause the latch bolt to depress or force the insert 25 inward with respect to the striker member 20 and against the'resistanc'e of the spring 32. As the latch bolt travels over the face 2la of the striker plate it will depress the insert member until it is flush with the face 2la as seen in Fig. 6. During this movement the bolt will be retracted against the resistance of the main spring l9 until it reaches the step at which time the main spring will shoot the bolt into latching position as shown in Fig. 1. Owing to the wedge faces I 3b and 35 the latch bolt will be forced home into tighter and tighter engagement with the striker face 35 during operation of the vehicle, particularly as a result of vibrations of the door. Thus, the latch bolt through the action of its main spring I 9 becomes a self-tightening type capable of being increasingly wedged upon the face 35 during motion of the vehicle door. On the other hand, due to the taper of the faces l3b and 35 the latch bolt can be very easily retracted to unlock the door. After passage of the bolt across the insert 25 the latter will be propelled outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 by the spring 32. The recoil of the insert member will be silenced by engagement of the resilient or elastic rubber bumper 29 with the stop shoulder or wall 30, therebyproviding a relatively noiseless action.

In the present instance the insert member 25 is formed of metal similar to the striker member 20, yet it will be understood that the insert member may be formed of a suitable sound deadening material, such as compacted fiber, rubber composition or other non-metallic material. Further, since the insert member 25 will be depressed to a position substantially flush with the main face of the striker, the bolt will travel smoothly into locking position over the surfaces Zla and 25a and theinsert member will recoil after pasami st sage of the bolt, all without any clicking noise as heretofore.

I claim:

1. A striker for a door latch comprising a body having a main tapering bolt engaging face, a

spring pressed insert member mounted Within a slot in said face and having a tapering face normally projecting outwardly from the face of said body and adapted to be depressed to a position substantially flush with the face of the striker body upon engagement of the bolt therewith, said insert member having an extension underlying an outer Wall portion of said body and movable within a recess in rear of said wall portion, a second extension underlying another wall portion of said body, laterally extending means on said last extension engaging the underface of the body for pivotally supporting the insert member, a spring for normally maintaining said insert member projected, and means for retaining said spring in position.

2. A striker for a door latch comprising a body having a main tapering bolt engaging face, a spring pressed insert member mounted within a slot in said face and having a tapering face normally projecting outwardly from the face of said body and adapted to be depressed to a position substantially flush with the face of the striker body upon engagement of the bolt therewith, said insert member having an extension underlying an outer wall portion of said body and movable within a recess in rear of said wall portion, an elastic cushioning element interposed between ad jacent faces of said extension and wall portion, a second extension underlying another wall portion of said body, laterally extending means on said last extension engaging the underface of the body for pivotally supporting the insert member, a spring for normally maintaining said insert member projected, and means for retaining said spring in position.

' JOHN H. ROETHEL. 

